Michigan Territory

The Michigan Territory was an organized incorporated territory of the United States which existed from 1805 to 1837, with Detroit serving as its capital. By the time of its establishment, white settlement was limited to Detroit and Fort Mackinac, so Governor William Hull negotiated the 1807 Treaty of Detroit and acquired new lands in southeastern Michigan and northern Ohio from the Native Americans. In 1824, the Michigan Territory was upgraded in status, with the people now electing the Governor, who had previously been appointed by the President. The Erie Canal opened in 1825, allowing for settlers from New England and New York to reach Michigan by water through Albany and Buffalo. In 1834, the Dakotas, Iowa, and western Minnesota were added to the Michigan Territory, and, in 1835, the Michigan Territory exchanged the Toledo area of Ohio for the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. On 3 July 1836, the western portions of the territory were reformed as the Wisconsin Territory, while Michigan achieved statehood.